


The Dare

by Seravia



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Community: merlinreversebb, Football, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-17 20:52:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1402042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seravia/pseuds/Seravia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is tricked into being dared to hold up a sign that reads “Arthur Pendragon I love you” during Arthur’s football matches.  Contrary to what the sign says, it’s Arthur who has to find a way into Merlin’s heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dare

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Вызов](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2570315) by [bitter_zephyr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitter_zephyr/pseuds/bitter_zephyr)



> Thank you so much to my artist, matchboximpala for the amazing art! It was the perfect inspiration for this fic. Her fantastic art can be found [here](http://matchboximpala.livejournal.com/147413.html).
> 
> And thank you to my real life friend, G, for beta'ing for me and helping me get through the writing even when I got stuck.

Merlin trudged up the bleacher steps holding a giant sign, trying futilely to hide the words scrawled across the front. It was the first footie game he’d ever attended. And he was about to make a fool of himself.

It was all Morgana’s fault.

\--

_Three nights ago…_

_“We are going to get drunk tonight, Merlin,” Morgana declared the moment Merlin sat down at their table._

_Merlin raised a skeptical eyebrow. “We are? I was under the impression that these were ‘let’s catch up’ drinks.”_

_“Yes, yes, we are going to catch up,” Morgana replied, waving a hand in the air dismissively. “But my brother has been a complete nightmare to live with lately and I need to get spectacularly drunk to avoid listening to his rants.”_

_“Your brother. Arthur, right?” Merlin asked. He looked up in surprise as a tray of drinks were deposited on their table. “You ordered already?”_

_“You always have the same thing, Merlin. Why waste time waiting for you to get here? And yes, my brother’s name is Arthur,” Morgana said, snatching up her drink and taking a sip._

_Merlin gave a small sigh, shaking his head in resignation, and reached for his drink (which was indeed what he was planning to order). There was no arguing with Morgana._

_“So, what’s Arthur been on about?”_

_“He has a week’s worth of footie matches lined up, and they’re all just so important,” Morgana began. “He’s always a bitch to be around before matches, but it’s worse than ever this time. Professional football never made much sense to me to begin with, but now I’m surrounded by football strategies day and night.”_

_As Morgana launched into her story (highly dramatized, Merlin was sure), Merlin sat back, nursing his drink, knowing it was going to be a long while before he got the chance to speak. Bare minutes into the story, Merlin could feel a headache coming on. Morgana’s story telling tended to be confrontational, more like an attack plan than an actual story. Before he knew it, Merlin was on his fourth drink, and he had promised himself that he wouldn’t be getting drunk tonight._

_By the time Morgana was finished, Merlin was leaning heavily on his hand, where his arm was propped on the table, muttering “hmm”s and nodding occasionally even though he could barely stay awake._

_Suddenly, a sharp “Merlin, are you listening?” cut through the fog of Merlin’s mind. He sat up hurriedly and shook his head a bit to clear it._

_“Of course, Arthur’s a prat,” Merlin said, fumbling his words._

_The one phrase seemed to placate Morgana. She leaned back in her seat and took another sip of her still nearly full drink. “Yes. He is,” she agreed vehemently._

_“An annoying, pompous, attractive prat.”_

_A calculating look entered Morgana’s eyes. “Merlin, love,” she said sweetly. “How do you feel about football?”_

_“’S fine I s’pose,” Merlin slurred. “Never cared much for it. Only reason I ever watch is to see the blokes in their football kits.”_

_“And you think Arthur’s attractive?”_

_“Sure,” Merlin muttered, laying his head down on the table. “Wouldn’t mind seeing him in a football kit.”_

_“Really now?” Morgana said, grinning mischievously. “Well, perhaps I can help you with that. You could go to his footie match on Saturday.”_

_“Hmm, sure, whatever,” Merlin muttered._

_“And I dare you to hold up a sign of my choosing.”_

_“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Merlin muttered again, peering up at Morgana blearily. “Can I go to sleep now?”_

_“Of course, love,” Morgana replied, patting Merlin’s arm gently. “Just sign the check first.”_

_Morgana hastily wrote down the terms of her dare on a napkin, passed it to Merlin, and helped him hold a pen steady enough to scrawl his name across the bottom._

_“Let’s get you home,” Morgana practically purred, guiding Merlin up from his chair and out the door, tucking the napkin securely in her pocket._

_Merlin was in for a very rude awakening the next morning._

\--

Merlin sat in the middle of the stands, still trying to shield his sign from prying eyes by keeping it tucked against his body. Thankfully, no one was paying much attention to him, and Merlin was able to remain mostly inconspicuous. Which he knew wouldn’t be the case the moment he revealed the writing on the sign.

Just as Arthur’s name was announced and he ran out on to the field, Merlin flipped the sign over and raised it in the air, high above his head, just as Morgana had demanded. He could feel his face burning as people around him peered over to catch a glimpse. Of course, the last thing he expected was for the cameras to pan over to him, zooming in on him and his giant sign that read,

“Arthur Pendragon, I love you,” complete with a heart in place of the word “love.”

The moment Arthur saw the picture on the projector, he whipped around to stare incredulously at Merlin.

By this point, the words “I hate Morgana” had become a mantra in Merlin’s head. His only consolation was that Arthur looked damn good in his football kit. If nothing else, at least he was right about Morgana’s brother being fit. He knew there was reason he liked footie players.

The moment the game ended, Merlin made a fast escape from the stands, trying to hide from the judgmental, yet admiring stares from the audience.

\--

“Arthur,” Morgana said sweetly, the moment Arthur walked through the door.

“Morgana.”

“How was the match?”

“It was fine. We’re moving on to the next round,” Arthur replied.

“And did anything interesting happen today?” Morgana asked, giving Arthur a meaningful look that he completely ignored.

“Some guy in the stands held up a sign that said ‘Arthur Pendragon, I love you.” I’d be more mad, but the bloke was actually cute, in an unconventional kind of way. Why so many questions, Morgana?”

When Morgana didn’t respond, Arthur glanced over at her from where he was making tea, only to find a Cheshire cat like grin on her face. “Oh god, Morgana,” he groaned. “What did you do?”

“Don’t you want to know who the cute bloke is, Arthur?” she teased.

“I’m not sure I do anymore,” Arthur sighed. “But it’s not as if I can stop you. Out with it. Who is he?”

“Merlin,” Morgana gleefully declared.

“Merlin?” Arthur repeated. “ _The_ Merlin? The one you’re always going on about from your company?”

“The very same. I always told you that you two would be perfect together.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “I still don’t believe you.”

“Why not? You said yourself that he was cute,” Morgana said.

“Sure, he is a bit. But that’s got nothing to do with destiny, or whatever it is you’re always harping about.”

“Oh you’ll be singing a different tune in no time at all, brother dear.”

“Or you’ll be eating your words, sister dear.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Arthur,” Morgana said mischievously. “I’ve yet to find a single person who can meet Merlin and not fall in love with him.”

“And I plan to be the exception to that rule.”

“No, Arthur, Merlin is the exception to _every_ rule,” Morgana said softly.

Arthur looked up to retort, but his words died in his throat at the completely earnest look in Morgana’s eyes. He would always deny it, but that was the moment Arthur fell a little in love with Merlin.

\--

The next day, Merlin found himself ascending the same set of bleachers, the same embarrassing sign in hand. This time, he didn’t even bother to try to hide it, knowing it was useless the moment everyone’s stares zeroed in on his sign.

With a sigh, Merlin sat down and propped the sign beside him.

This time, when Arthur ran on to the field, he scanned the crowds until his gaze landed on Merlin and his sign. Arthur met Merlin’s eyes for a moment before breaking eye contact, a small frown appearing on his lips as he turned away.

Merlin didn’t know what to make of that. He decided to chalk it up to Arthur being a prat. Just as he always suspected from Morgana’s stories.

After the match, Merlin attempted to make a quick escape again, but was intercepted by none other than Arthur Pendragon himself.

“Can we talk?” Arthur asked.

“Well, hello to you too. But, sorry, I’d rather just get out of here,” Merlin said.

“Isn’t that a bit forward of you?” Arthur replied, raising an eyebrow at Merlin’s words.

Merlin blinked several times before he caught on to the innuendo in his words. He sputtered, face flushing, before he finally choked out, “That’s not what I meant!”

“I know. But it stopped you from leaving, didn’t it? So, can we talk? Privately?”

“Fine. What have I got to lose?” Merlin said, giving in and following Arthur into a separate field.

After they were out of earshot of the crowd, Arthur turned to Merlin and said, “So, you’re Merlin.”

“I see Morgana’s made my introduction for me.”

“She tends to do that,” Arthur admitted. “And I’m Arthur. But I suspect you already know that,” he said, a smirk appearing on his lips.

“Don’t be so full of yourself. It’s just a sign,” Merlin said, face flushing.

“But it’s what the sign says that’s so intriguing. Apparently, you love me.”

“Morgana was right. You are a prat,” Merlin said.

“Excuse me?” Arthur said incredulously. “Do you just go around calling everyone you barely know prats?”

“Just you, I’m afraid,” Merlin retorted. “But come off it. It’s not as if I know nothing about you. And I know you know plenty about me. Morgana always has an endless supply of stories.”

“True as that may be, I’m not insulting you the first time we speak. And trust me, there is plenty of ammunition I could use.”

“Feel free. I already know you’re a pompous, entitled prat who’s ridiculously anal about everything. You can drive Morgana crazy enough that she’s willing to agree with you on anything just to get you to shut up sometimes. That’s quite a feat. It tells me all I need to know.” Merlin shrugged, then shot Arthur a look that said “do your worst.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes at Merlin. “Fine. I know you’re a bumbling idiot who would probably lose your own head if it weren’t attached to your neck. Not to mention a computer geek who doesn’t know his arse from his Arsenal.”

“Clearly we already know quite enough about each other. So, if that’s all,” Merlin said, turning on his heel.

“Wait!” Arthur exclaimed. “Come grab coffee with me.”

Merlin swung around in surprise. “After all that, you expect me to agree to coffee?” Merlin asked incredulously.

“You’re not all bad,” Arthur said with a shrug. “I’ve heard plenty about how smart and funny you are too. Might as well find out for myself. Besides, you’re easy on the eyes.” Arthur shot Merlin a wink.

Merlin was unimpressed. “Thank you for the stamp of approval, Your Highness,” Merlin said, voice dripping with sarcasm, “but I’ll have to decline your generous offer. I have better things to do than go out with a prat like you.”

Arthur was completely taken aback at Merlin’s response. It had been a long time since he’d been turned down. Merlin was halfway across the field by the time Arthur found his voice. He hurried after Merlin and grabbed his arm, tugging him around to face him.

“What now?” Merlin asked exasperatedly.

“Answer me one question then.”

“Fine. Ask.”

“Why were you holding up a sign that said you love me if you don’t want to go out with me?”

Merlin gave a put upon sigh and pulled his arm gently from Arthur’s grasp. “It was a dare, Arthur. You know your sister better than anyone else. I don’t think you’ll be surprised to learn that she was the one who dared me. Even got it in writing too, the harpy.”

“I see,” Arthur replied, folding his arms and looking away. “I suppose Morgana got what she wanted then.”

“She did?” Merlin asked in surprise.

Arthur chuckled humorlessly. “Yeah. To distract me. I know she was tired of hearing me gripe about my matches at home. And I’m sure she wanted to get back at me. Embarrass me a little.”

“This was embarrassing, was it? Having someone declare their love for you?” Merlin asked softly, shuffling his feet a little.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Arthur quickly said. “I’ve never liked having my private life in the public eye. So, yes, it was a bit embarrassing for something like this to happen without my knowing about it.”

“Well, the dare was that I’d do this for the entire week. So maybe you can convince Morgana to let me stop. I assumed part of the reason she did this was to get us to meet too.”

“Yeah, destiny and all that crap,” Arthur said, shooting Merlin a tentative smile.

Merlin laughed. “Yeah. Good to know I’m not the only one she spouts that crap to.”

“Rest assured that you’re not.”

Merlin and Arthur smiled at each other. Merlin broke eye contact first, saying, “I should get going. Despite the circumstances, it was nice meeting you, Arthur.”

“You too, Merlin,” Arthur murmured.

With one last smile, Merlin turned and walked off the field.

\--

Merlin showed up at Arthur’s footie match the next day, as promised. This time, he didn’t even bother to hide his sign. It wasn’t as if anyone didn’t already know what it said. When Arthur came on to the field this time, his gaze went directly to Merlin’s section of the stands. As their eyes met, a fleeting smile crossed Arthur’s lips.

Merlin shot him a tiny smile, feeling a blush bloom on his cheeks at Arthur’s obvious attention.

After the match, instead of trying to race out of the stadium, Merlin lingered outside the locker rooms waiting for Arthur. It was a little disconcerting that none of the security guards made him leave. Instead, they all just smiled at him and nodded in recognition. One even said “he’ll be out soon.” All Merlin could do was blink and nod mutely, wondering who exactly they thought he was to Arthur.

Arthur was the first out of the locker room. He froze when he caught sight of Merlin. Merlin offered him a tentative smile which Arthur immediately returned with a grin.

“Couldn’t stay away, could you?” Arthur said cockily.

Merlin flushed and shot Arthur a glare. “I just thought I’d congratulate you on winning the match.”

“Thank you. You sure that’s not just an excuse?”

“Quite sure, you prat,” Merlin said, narrowing his eyes at Arthur.

“All right, all right,” Arthur said, holding his hands up, palms facing Merlin, in a placating gesture. “Just checking. You want to reconsider that coffee?”

“Afraid not,” Merlin replied sweetly.

Merlin thought he caught a flash of disappointment in Arthur’s eyes, but as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Merlin chalked it up to himself imagining things.

Arthur shrugged before shouldering his rucksack. “Are you headed out? I’ll walk with you.”

“Sure, I wouldn’t mind the company,” Merlin admitted, hoisting up his sign and falling into step beside Arthur.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, Merlin struggling to keep a good grip on his sign all the while. Finally, Arthur broke the silence by saying, “Didn’t you think to make the sign smaller? Or collapsible?”

“Your sister made the sign,” Merlin replied with a sigh. “She wasn’t exactly aiming to make my life easier.”

“Morgana is a complication in and of herself,” Arthur said.

\--

Finally, it was the last day of Arthur’s footie matches for the week. Instead of sitting in his usual section of the stands, Merlin deliberately chose a seat on the other side of the stadium, curious to see Arthur’s reaction. When Arthur did come on to the field, he turned toward Merlin’s usual seat, his step faltering for a moment when he didn’t find Merlin’s face in the crowd. Arthur began to glance around, turning this way and that under the guise of stretching before the game. After several moments, Merlin gave in and held up his sign, waving it a bit to get Arthur’s attention.

When Arthur did catch sight of the sign, relief flashed across his face as he shot Merlin an exasperated smile.

Merlin just grinned cheekily in response.

When the match ended, Merlin found himself dawdling in front of the locker rooms for the second time.

“How’s it feel to know you never have to hold up that sign again?” Arthur asked when he stopped in front of Merlin.

“Pretty good, I have to say,” Merlin replied with a laugh. “Your arms get surprisingly tired after holding it up for four games in a row.”

“I can only imagine,” Arthur said, shooting Merlin a crooked smile. “I suppose this is the last time I’ll get to see you too.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I’m still friends with Morgana after all. Maybe we’ll bump into each other sometime.”

“Right,” Arthur said. “I don’t suppose I can get you to reconsider coffee?”

“Are you ever going to stop asking me that?”

“After today I guess. Not much reason to ask if I don’t see you, is there?”

Merlin was silent for a moment, letting it sink in that this was the last time he and Arthur would have a conversation like this.

“Good thing right? It’s not like you were ever going to say yes anyway. Prat, remember?” Arthur asked, pointing at himself to emphasize his point.

“Right,” Merlin echoed, shooting Arthur a small smile. “I guess I’d best be off then. I’ve completed my dare. No need to keep sticking around.”

“Good riddance,” Arthur huffed, but there was no heat to his tone.

Merlin just smiled. “Goodbye, Arthur. Good luck in the championships,” he said quietly.

“Thanks. Goodbye, Merlin,” Arthur murmured back.

\--

“Morning, Gwen,” Merlin called as he walked into the office on Monday morning of the next week.

“Merlin!” Gwen exclaimed, swiveling around in her chair to beam at Merlin.

“All right there, Gwen?” Merlin asked suspiciously. Merlin couldn’t remember the last time he saw Gwen look so giddy in the morning without three cups of coffee beside her.

“Oh yes, I’m perfectly all right,” Gwen replied, nodding vigorously.

“If you say so…” Merlin muttered as he turned away to head to his own desk.

“Have a good day!” Gwen called cheerfully behind him. Merlin shot her another suspicious look before disappearing into his cubicle.

Where he promptly yelped “Arthur” and nearly fell over.

Because right there in his desk chair sat Arthur Pendragon, the prat Merlin hadn’t been able to get out of his head since the first time they met.

“Miss me?” Arthur asked, cocking his head and shooting Merlin a smirk.

“No!” Merlin snapped. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Arthur didn’t respond. Instead, he reached behind himself and pulled out a banner. It was made of thick card stock, artfully decorated, and worst of all, had the words “Merlin Emrys I love you” written across it in perfect looping cursive.

“What. Is. That,” Merlin demanded.

“Just giving you a taste of your own medicine, darling,” Arthur teased.

“It was a dare!” Merlin exclaimed, his shout so loud that the entire office fell silent. Mortified, Merlin peeked over the top of his cubicle and mouthed “sorry” before ducking down to hide.

“I know,” Arthur said with a shrug. “But it’s still fun.”

“Well, point made. Very funny. Now get out.”

“Oh I think there was a bit more to it,” Arthur said, grinning as he stood up and gestured for Merlin to sit.

Merlin obliged begrudgingly, dropping his bag before sitting down to log into his computer.

“So what do you do here anyway?” Arthur asked from behind Merlin.

“This is the IT department. Take a wild guess,” Merlin said dryly.

“So, computers. I should’ve guessed. You are so the computer geek type.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Merlin said defensively, swiveling around in his chair to face Arthur. He flailed a bit when he came face-to-face with Arthur, who was leaning so close that he was bare inches in front of his face.

Arthur leaned back against the wall of the cubicle. “Nothing. You just look the type. Skinny, pale, a little awkward. Not to mention how much I hear about your computer skills from Morgana. Does she manage to break all the computers for this company or something? It’s like she has a crisis every week.”

Merlin shot Arthur a glare. “So sorry to fit the stereotype,” he huffed. “But yes, Morgana does have an uncanny knack for breaking computers. I’m not sure how she does it. She’s the head of the PR department and she could talk a robber into giving her all of his money, but tell her to open a word document and she manages to get the computer to give her the blue screen of death.”

“Proof that even computers can’t tolerate her for long,” Arthur quipped.

“Somehow that wouldn’t surprise me,” Merlin replied, shaking his head in amusement. “I’m going to get some water in the break room. Do you want to come with?”

At that, Arthur grinned mischievously. “I would be delighted.”

Merlin gave him a strange look, but didn’t question Arthur’s sudden shift in mood. He just led the way out of his cubicle and to the break room. It wasn’t until he noticed the unusual silence around him that he glanced around. When his gaze fell on Arthur, he tripped over his own feet.

“Arthur!” Merlin whispered. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Arthur waved his colorful sign at Merlin cheerfully. “Letting everyone know that I love you, of course.”

“Put that away!”

“I had to endure it for a week. Surely you can too.”

Merlin gritted his teeth and turned on his heel to march into the break room. Grabbing a bottle of water, he made his way as quickly as possible back to his cubicle.

“How long do you plan to hold up that sign?” Merlin groaned.

Arthur shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet. As long as it takes?”

“For what?”

“For you to agree to coffee,” Arthur replied, grinning cheekily at Merlin.

Merlin snorted. “Never gonna happen.”

“All right,” Arthur said, taking a seat on the floor of Merlin’s cubicle. “I can wait.”

Merlin narrowed his eyes at Arthur but didn’t bother to respond. He just turned back to his work and tried to ignore Arthur’s presence.

\--

“Don’t you have better things to do?”

“Nope. My next footie match isn’t until the championships. The team and I are taking a bit of a break.”

“Go bother Morgana then.”

“Are you crazy? I’d sooner jump into a tiger’s mouth.”

Merlin sighed and gave up for the day.

\--

Arthur met Merlin at his office again the next day, sign in hand, grin on his face.

“Hello, Arthur,” Merlin said with a sigh.

“Hello, Merlin,” Arthur replied. “What are we up to today?”

“Well I expect your day is going to consist of annoying me with that sign. And I am going to try to work on this project in peace,” Merlin said, gesturing at his computer.

“Try not to get too distracted!”

“I’ll try,” Merlin said dryly.

\--

“Arthur, you do realize that this is where I work, right?” Merlin finally asked.

“Of course I do. Why else would I be here?”

“It’s not exactly appropriate for you to follow me around with that sign while I’m working,” Merlin said slowly, wondering what it was that Arthur hadn’t understood.

“You did exactly that where I work,” Arthur protested.

“Yes, but you are a professional football player. Your work includes many spectators who shout and cheer and wave signs regularly. One more sign isn’t going to make a difference.”

“That one did,” Arthur muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” Merlin asked, straining to catch Arthur’s words.

“Nothing,” Arthur sighed. “If this is really a problem, Merlin, all you have to do is say so. I don’t actually want to cause difficulties in your work life.”

Merlin was struck momentarily speechless by Arthur’s consideration. “Well… I suppose it couldn’t hurt for you to stay the rest of the day,” he said begrudgingly.

Arthur beamed at him. “Wonderful. Perhaps I’ll go get myself some water. Can I get you anything?”

“I’m all right, thanks,” Merlin replied, shooting Arthur a small smile. It was only after Arthur disappeared that Merlin realized he took the sign with him. Merlin groaned. He could only imagine what people in the office thought of him by now.

When Arthur didn’t come back after half an hour, Merlin finally got up to search for him. Perhaps Arthur had gotten lost? As he made his way to the break room, Merlin became increasingly more suspicious as he saw that half the desks were empty. Upon reaching the break room, Merlin walked in to find half the IT department surrounding Arthur, laughing and gazing at him adoringly.

“Oh hello, Merlin!” Arthur called brightly. “I was just telling your coworkers the story behind this sign.”

“Arthur!” Merlin groaned, mortified that the entire office was now going to know about his stupid dare.

“What? It’s not like it’s a secret. You were on national TV, Merlin,” Arthur reminded him.

“Don’t you all have work to do?” Merlin snapped.

“We’ll get right to it,” Gwen promised, shooing everyone out of the room and shooting Merlin an encouraging smile as she left.

“Did you really have to tell this story to everyone I work with?” Merlin said, glaring at Arthur.

“They asked, and I didn’t think you’d mind. Most of them knew about it anyway. But I am sorry if you didn’t want people to know,” Arthur said apologetically.

“It’s fine,” Merlin said with a sigh. “Let me just go finish up my last bit of code and then I’m heading home.”

Arthur nodded silently and trailed Merlin back to his cubicle, not bothering to flaunt the sign on their way through the office.

After Merlin finished his work for the day, he began to silently pack up his things. Finally Arthur broke the silence.

“I’ll stop,” he blurted out.

“Stop what?”

“With the sign. I didn’t mean for it to create difficulties in your work life. I’m sorry,” Arthur murmured. “I’m so used to my life being in the public eye that sometimes I forget other people get the luxury of privacy. I’m sorry for intruding on yours.”

Merlin stared at Arthur with a wide-eyed gaze, struck speechless.

Arthur waited for several moments for a response. When none was forthcoming, he smiled awkwardly, gave a small wave and said, “I guess I’ll be going then. See you around, Merlin.”

It was only when Arthur was stepping out of his cubicle that Merlin finally found his voice. “Arthur, wait!” he called.

Arthur turned expectantly. “Yes?”

Merlin studied Arthur for a moment, biting his lip nervously. “There’s a coffee shop I like down the street,” he blurted out.

Arthur froze, then his face broke out into a grin. “Are you asking me on a date, Merlin Emrys?”

“Don’t be a prat,” Merlin muttered, grabbing his bag and hurrying past Arthur. When Merlin heard Arthur’s footsteps following, he ducked his head and let a small smile cross his lips.

\--

“This place has good coffee for such a tiny shop,” Arthur admitted as he took his first sip of his coffee.

Merlin snorted. “You’re such a posh prat. Just because a place is small doesn’t mean it can’t be good.”

“Oi, who said I was posh?”

“I know your sister. It was hard to miss.”

“Fair point,” Arthur conceded begrudgingly. “So what made you decide to ask me for coffee?”

“What do you mean ‘ask you for coffee’? I was just agreeing to your offer,” Merlin said indignantly.

“Oh no, I distinctly recall you being the one to suggest it today,” Arthur said, sitting back with a smug grin.

“Actually, what you should recall is me saying that there’s a good coffee shop I like down the street. There was no question in that statement,” Merlin shot back.

“The question was implied.”

“I was simply stating my opinion.”

“Your opinion on how you’d like to have coffee with me,” Arthur added.

“My opinion on this coffee shop,” Merlin corrected.

“You didn’t deny it when I asked if you were asking me on a date.”

“Oh, so this is a date, is it?” Merlin teased.

“Most definitely not,” Arthur scoffed.

“What?” Merlin said, taken aback.

“Aha!” Arthur exclaimed. “You wanted this to be a date!”

“I did not!” Merlin protested, blushing furiously.

“Really, Merlin?” Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow at Merlin expectantly.

“Fine,” Merlin muttered, taking a gulp of his coffee to avoid Arthur’s gaze. “It’s a date. So what?”

“So nothing,” Arthur replied. “I just wanted you to admit it.”

“Prat,” Merlin quipped, rolling his eyes at Arthur.

“You know, the more times you say that word, the less it sounds like an insult,” Arthur said.

“Should I come up with a new one? I’m quite happy to do so.”

“No, no, that’s not necessary,” Arthur said quickly.

Merlin ignored him. “How about clotpole? Or dollophead perhaps? How do you feel about cabbage head?”

“Prat is fine, thank you,” Arthur cut in, gesturing frantically in an effort to get Merlin to stop.

Merlin smirked. “Oh, all right. If you say so. Prat.”

Arthur just laughed.

Merlin stuck his tongue out at him.

Arthur shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee to cover up his smile. “I really am sorry if I intruded on your privacy these past few days, you know.”

Merlin’s eyes softened and he smiled. “I know. Thank you for saying so. And I’m sorry if I made things difficult for you.”

“Don’t be,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “To be honest, I’m used to it. You’re not the first to hold up a sign that says ‘I love you.’”

“Then why were you so upset about it?” Merlin asked, frowning in confusion.

“I wasn’t upset,” Arthur protested. “I was just surprised. You may not be the first to hold up a sign like that, but the people who do it are usually fans. Certainly never men. And I don’t usually give them any attention.” Arthur shot Merlin a slightly embarrassed smile.

Merlin ducked his head in an attempt to hide his blush. “Well, perhaps you shouldn’t have given me any either.”

“I don’t think I could if I tried. There’s just something about you, Merlin,” Arthur said softly.

When Merlin looked up to meet Arthur’s eyes, Arthur held his gaze until Merlin finally broke away with a cough, curling in on himself bashfully. But Arthur didn’t miss the pleased little smile on Merlin’s lips.

Merlin and Arthur were still sitting in the coffee shop by the time the owner came around to quietly remind them that the shop would be closing in ten minutes. By that time, their coffee had gone cold, the sky was dark, but their conversation still hadn’t run dry.

When they left the coffee shop, they paused outside, suddenly shy after hours of talking.

“I had a really nice time,” Arthur murmured, trying to catch Merlin’s eye.

Merlin gave him a small smile and replied, “So did I. I’m glad we did this.”

“Would you want to do this again sometime?” Arthur asked tentatively.

Merlin hesitated. Arthur’s heart sank. “Arthur…” Merlin whispered. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

Arthur shuffled his feet a little. “Merlin, I’m not usually the guy who asks why someone won’t go out with him. But… I thought you were enjoying yourself tonight. What happened?”

“I was,” Merlin admitted. “Don’t get me wrong. I like you, Arthur. And I’d like to spend more time with you. But I’m not sure I could handle being part of the life you live. You said yourself that you’re used to your private life being public. And as for me, I quite like my private life to remain private.”

“We wouldn’t have to broadcast our relationship to the world.”

“Does that mean keeping it a secret from the world?” Merlin asked quietly.

Merlin knew the answer from Arthur’s silence. He smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, Arthur. I don’t want to be in the spotlight. But I don’t want to only be backstage either. Just please believe me when I say that I do like you.”

“I like you too, Merlin. But I get it,” Arthur said, giving Merlin a small, sad smile.

Merlin nodded and leaned in to kiss Arthur on the cheek. “Goodbye, Arthur,” Merlin whispered in Arthur’s ear as he pulled away. Merlin gazed at Arthur for a moment longer before walking away.

“Goodbye, Merlin,” Arthur murmured to Merlin’s retreating back.

\--

The next day, when Merlin went into work, the entire office glanced behind him hopefully.

“What?” Merlin snapped. “He’s not coming.”

Gwen approached Merlin cautiously after he settled behind his desk. “Merlin?” she asked softly. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” Merlin said shortly.

“Did something happen with Arthur?” she tried again.

“We had coffee.”

“That sounds nice. Did it not go well?” Gwen prodded again.

“It went fine, Gwen,” Merlin sighed. “But I’m not going to see him again.”

“Why not?”

“He’s a celebrity, Gwen,” Merlin said. “Would you want your life in the spotlight like that?”

“No,” Gwen admitted with a frown.

“Exactly.”

“You didn’t let me finish. No, I wouldn’t want that life, but maybe it would be worth it for someone I really care about,” Gwen said, putting a comforting hand on Merlin’s arm.

Merlin shook her hand off and didn’t respond.

\--

“Have you talked to Arthur?” Gwen asked.

“No.”

“You don’t even want to speak to him?”

“What’s the point?” Merlin asked.

“Maybe you need to figure that out.”

\--

“Do you think Arthur’s worth it, Merlin?” Gwen asked.

“Worth what?”

“Worth being in the spotlight if it means you can be with him.”

“I don’t know,” Merlin whispered.

“It’s been two weeks, Merlin. And you haven’t stopped moping. Maybe you should give it some more thought.”

\--

“Dammit, Merlin!” Gwen exclaimed. “Make up your mind!”

“Why are you yelling at me?” Merlin yelped.

“Merlin Emrys, you have been moping around the office for the past month over Arthur. It has been long enough, and if you’re not going to make a decision, then I’ll make it for you,” Gwen announced.

“How are you going to do that?” Merlin said, pouting at Gwen.

“I dare you to hold up that stupid sign at the championship game this weekend,” Gwen said triumphantly.

Merlin froze. “…What?”

“You heard me.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Merlin whined.

“You don’t get a choice,” Gwen said. “I’m going to drag you there myself and make sure you do it.”

Merlin grumbled the rest of the day, but he never said no. Gwen considered that a victory.

\--

The day of the championship game arrived.

As promised, Gwen dragged Merlin with her to the game. The crowd went wild the moment Merlin walked into the stadium. The moment Arthur ran out on to the field, the cameras panned to Merlin so that each projector around the stadium showed the same image of Merlin holding up his sign of “Arthur Pendragon I love you,” a deer in the headlights look on his face.

Arthur nearly tripped over his own feet when he caught sight of Merlin’s face on the screens. He swung around until he found Merlin’s gaze. There was no helping the smile that spread across Merlin’s face when his eyes met Arthur’s. To make things worse, Merlin saw his own besotted face reflected back at him from all angles. He barely managed to stop himself from hiding behind the sign in his hand. His only consolation was the equally besotted expression on Arthur’s face looking back at him.

At the end of the game, Merlin lingered outside the locker rooms, fiddling with his sign nervously as he waited for Arthur to come out.

“Merlin.”

Merlin’s head snapped up when he heard Arthur’s voice. “Hi,” he said weakly.

“You’re back,” Arthur said, face expressionless.

Merlin bit his lip. “I am.”

“Morgana dare you again?”

“Gwen this time actually,” Merlin admitted.

“Oh,” Arthur said quietly, looking away and crossing his arms. “Well, mission accomplished.”

Merlin laughed nervously. “Not quite.”

“What do you mean?” Arthur asked, glancing back at Merlin, brow furrowed in confusion.

Merlin took a tentative step closer to Arthur. When Arthur didn’t back away, Merlin took another step. Then another. And another, until he was bare inches away from Arthur.

“Merlin?” Arthur whispered, dropping his arms to his sides slowly.

“This sign? It was a dare. But that doesn’t make what it says any less true,” Merlin said softly.

“Do you mean that?” Arthur asked, a smile beginning to creep across his face.

“I’ve never meant anything more,” Merlin said earnestly.

“Good,” Arthur said and leaned closer to Merlin, pausing just before their lips met. Arthur held Merlin’s gaze for another moment, reveling in the affection shining in Merlin’s eyes. Arthur murmured, “Now I can finally do this,” just before pressing his lips to Merlin’s.

Arthur felt Merlin’s answering smile against his lips. Merlin tossed the sign away and cupped Arthur’s face in his palms. Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin to pull him closer, tangling their limbs together.

As the cameras began to flash around them, Merlin broke the kiss, whispering, “Arthur, the paparazzi.”

“For the first time, Merlin, I don’t care if the world sees,” Arthur replied, pressing another kiss to Merlin’s lips. “Unless you’d prefer…”

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck to stop him from backing away. “Let them see,” Merlin murmured. “You’re worth it.”


End file.
